The Living Yurei: Reunion Is Her Salvation
by AskForXYZ
Summary: [Sequel to Beyond Mokkori: Hypnotic Revelations] A woman they never knew existed, enters Ryo and Kaori's life to change their past as they know it. Unable to believe, the City Hunter duo struggles to find the truth and in turn, help their client. Is their love strong enough to survive another storm? Warning: OC is a main character. Rated T for sexual themes and language.
1. Kaori: This Can't Be

Author's Note: This story is a sequel to my last story **Beyond Mokkori: Hypnotic Revelations**. It is part of the fan fiction series I am writing for City Hunter. Let me warn you, this story has many OCs (characters that are not from City Hunter, but created by me). And the main OC in this story is my first ever prize winning character (from my fifth prize winning story) in an inter school competition. Memories… :D  
Her name has been changed and her certain character traits have been refined for the story. This story was requested by a very good friend of mine, who will probably never read it now. Let's not get into that. I am positive about this fic and I think, if you don't have any aversion to OCs, you might like this story. It's a personal favourite of mine and I have tried to not turn the OC into a Mary Sue. Also, she is not based on me (some people really think that way about all OCs), but on somebody I used to know.  
Honorifics are used in some places for effect, but not all the time. And this drama won't really have any humour at all.  
I hope, you like this story. Thank you to _neha borkar_, _Casey_, _Daksha_, _Guest_ and _videlbideru _for their kind reviews on my fic **Beyond Mokkori: Hypnotic Revelations**, which is a prequel to this story.

Glossary: 1) hentai – Japanese word for a lecherous person with perverted tendencies  
2) honto – a Japanese word which translates to 'really' in English  
3) shojou – a genre of Japanese manga

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**Kaori: This Can't Be…**

**[Prologue]**

_"Don't. Don't go", she clutched my hand. I looked back at her face. I had rarely ever seen her cry before. Yet, she looked adorable even while crying. I smiled and cupped her soft face, "Look at me. Come on. Look at me". She did reluctantly and I said in my most convincing tone, "Nothing is going to happen to me. I am going to be completely fine. Trust me". "No", she whimpered. "Besides", I kissed her forehead and said, "Even if something bad happens to me, even if I get lost, I know you will find me". She looked up startled as if I had revealed a long hidden secret. She asked innocently, "I will?". "You will. I know, you will find me", I kissed her lips for a little longer than usual. The sweetness was overwhelming. I withdrew, looked at her in admiration and walked away. In turn, she looked at me longingly as I walked out of her room and then out of her sight._

What does a girl do when her friend reveals to her that she is getting married? Well, she squeaks, "Oh my god! I can't believe this! He proposed?! That is so great! Oh my god!". She jumps, "Yay! I'm so happy for you! I can't believe he proposed!". And she spreads the word, "Ryo, Umibozu-san proposed to Miki!". More than often, such enthusiastic to-be-bridesmaids get a jovial response. But what I receive is a doom struck expression and a sharp scream, "WHAAAT?!". My partner of five years, Global Shame Saeba Ryo, grabs the receiver from my hands and shouts into the phone, "Hey! Miki-chan, how could you do to this to me?! Why are you marrying that bald sea monster?! This is not fair! Ryo-chan demands justice! Justice, justice, justice!". Within a second, Ryo's hair stands on edges and he jerks his ear away from the receiver. I smirk. Miki must have given him a sound scolding for talking about Umibozu like that. He deserved it. And he deserves a hammer for interrupting my conversation. [WHAM!] The said pervert is now lying on the floor, with a red bump on his head.

My friend Miki is getting married! And the even bigger news is that Umibozu-san proposed. It's such a happy surprise! Those two have been in love for as long as I can remember. Miki's patience with him has finally paid off. She sounded so happy on the telephone. I bet, she sniffed away a tear or two. Miki has always been the emotional type, though she never shows it publicly. Her new fiancé, on the other hand, is a typical hard headed sweeper. None of the people I know have ever been able to guess what goes on in his mind. But, Miki has always claimed that he is not as insensitive as he pretends to be. Well, I could say the same about my boyfriend. Geh… I mean, my partner. I mean, Ryo. We have had a complicated love-friendship-family-work-business-anger relationship since a few years. I'm also his restrainer. Know what that means? I keep a check on his hentai tendencies which gush out in force as soon as he is in the presence of an attractive female. But, that doesn't count me. Uh-uh. Even though I am a very petite, neat featured, tall, slender female in my prime (if I can say so myself), my womanizer partner is completely immune to my charms. Not completely. He has displayed his admiration for me and my assets once or twice. It might not sound much, but it is enough for me. Even a confession in a hypnotic state is more than enough from someone like Ryo.

I find myself talking about Miki and Umibozu-san as I have breakfast with my partner.  
"I, Kasumi, Miki –none of us believed that he would ever propose! Whenever we talked to Miki about it, she would say that she is happy with whatever they have right now. But, her love prevailed! Oh, I'm so happy for them, Ryo. And you should be too". Ryo just smirks in response as he shoves more food into his mouth. I guess, he doesn't want to talk about it because I didn't appreciate his opinion on it a few moments ago. Hehehe… I feel quite proud that I'm the only one he is afraid of. He says,  
"When is the wedding?"  
"Nothing's decided yet. He just proposed to her this morning"  
"Maybe she just agreed because of a post orgasm effect"  
I brought his head down on the table with my hammer,  
"Don't talk about other people's personal lives like that!"  
Ryo can be so blunt at times. He has never had a problem in saying perverted stuff that has come into his mind. But, I am a more refined person than he is. No, swearing doesn't count.  
I pick up our breakfast plates and the doorbell rings. I say while entering the kitchen, "Ryo, could you get that?". He gets up slowly and trudges to the door. Why does he have to act so agitated over such a good news? Idiot. I put the dishes into the sink and get busy with the chores. But I have to stop midway when I hear Reika-san chatting pleasantly with Ryo. It's not that I am jealous or something. But, these notorious Nogami sisters often make Ryo help them for free in exchange for a mokkori. Yes, a nookie. They never 'pay' him though. Even if they wanted to, I wouldn't let them. For our business' sake, I sigh and decide to eavesdrop.

"Good morning, Ryo!", why does she sound so cheerful?  
"Hey, Reika-chan", Ryo sounds upset. Idiot.  
"What's with the gloomy face, Ryo?"  
"Miki-chan is getting married to that octopus", he says sadly. Yeah, as if this jerk ever had a chance with her.  
"Oh, really? That's good news. But, you don't look so happy. I do have something that will cheer you up", the playfulness in her voice is detectable. What is she talking about?  
"Honto?!", Ryo's squeak. Sigh. He is indeed hoping for something perverted.  
"Take a look…"  
I step out of the kitchen and watch as Reika-san gives Ryo a photograph. Ryo is drooling already and jumping in joy. Wasn't he sad just a moment ago? And whose picture is that?  
"Who is this black haired beauty? Aha… she is so cute!"  
"She is a prospective client for you. She looks great, doesn't she?"  
"Yes, yes! She is a typical Japanese beauty. And her…"  
"Not bad", I say as I snatch the photo from his hands and glance at it. Another beautiful woman for a client. And that too a reference from Reika-san. Gosh.  
"Ka-Kaori?", Ryo moves away from me, a please-don't-kill-me smile on his face. Reika-san greets me,  
"Good morning, Kaori-san"  
"Hm. Who is this girl, Reika-san?"  
"A client for you. And I can give you her advance payment right now"  
"We will take it!", Ryo is punched in the face right after saying those words. I scold him,  
"Do some thinking with your upper brain for a change! Reika-san, what is the catch?"  
"Eh? No catch, Kaori-san. It's just a simple job offer I received which I am directing towards you"  
"Why so?"  
"It's just an investigative case. She is looking for a missing person. I would have taken it but I am already very busy with other cases right now"  
She never lets go off a single opportunity to brag about her work and comment on our temporary unemployment.  
"No, thanks. We don't normally handle such cases and there's no need for us to change that now"  
"Can you really afford to be choosy right now, Kaori-san? I hear, you haven't had a job assignment in quite some time"  
This woman… but, she does have a point. Ryo is trying to recover from my latest blow. Maybe, we should take this one. The client is also going to pay an advance. But…  
"Did she go to the police?"  
"Why don't you ask her yourself? She is waiting in my office right now. Shall I send her here?"  
"By all means! And give me that picture", Ryo whisks it away from my hands. Looks like, I am going to have to be on extra guard again this time. I nod at Reika-san whose smile has changed into a melancholy grimace. Whoa… did she just bow?  
"Thank you very much, Kaori-san, Saeba-san"  
Ryo and I watch her in surprise as she walks to the door and turns around before closing it from outside,  
"Only you two can solve this case. I'm sorry for the trouble"  
What is she talking about?

Ryo is busy brushing his hair and checking his appearance again and again in his pocket mirror. He has one. I say, "Listen to me, Ryo. If you try anything disgusting with this girl, I will finish you off with my own hands. Our last client ran away because you lifted her skirt in public. And that was two months ago. We need this job and I need you to beha-", my words are left hanging in midair as Ryo holds me by the shoulders. That enchanting smile…  
"I promise, I won't disappoint you this time"  
Good god lord. This has been happening a lot lately. He does something which leaves me blushing and speechless. But, if he keeps holding me like this, my already weakened knees are going to give away. Oh, say something, Ryo.  
Thankfully, I hear the doorbell and run to open the door. And when I open it, I see our client, not looking exactly the way she looks in that photograph. I study her for a minute without realizing it myself. Black long hair which goes long way till her knees, a tall and slender frame, wearing a simple white dress, casual white shoes with socks, pale skin and a proportionate body. _'Did I just describe her in a shojou way?'_. She bows to me and I get to see her face. It's much paler than her skin. But, pretty, I must say. She looks like a typical Japanese 'vision'. And I just quoted Ryo. Shaking my head in annoyance, I welcome the woman inside.  
"Hey!", Ryo smiles widely and waves at her. I can see his smile disappearing when he actually sees her. This is great. He is looking at her and then at her picture repeatedly. The woman walks in and bows to him too. Ryo exclaims,  
"Just how many years ago was this picture taken?!". I elbow him in the ribs and smile at the guest.  
"Welcome. Reika-san just told us about you"  
"Thank you. You must be Mr. and Mrs. Gonzalez. I am Saki Nogawa. It's a pleasure to meet you", her voice is so feeble… DID SHE JUST CALL US MR. AND MRS. GONZALEZ?!  
"Wait! Looks like it's some sort of mis…", maybe Reika-san told her that. But why? Ugh. I will ask her later. For now, we should go with the flow. But I hear my stupid partner saying,  
"What makes you think she is my wife?!". I have to act quickly and I do so by cupping his mouth with my right hand. I try to grin,  
"What my husband means is that I am not just his wife, but his partner too. Isn't that right, honey?". Ryo tries to resist but then, nods meekly in response to my dangerous glare. Our client says,  
"That's nice. Miss Reika said to me that Mr. Richard and his wife Mrs. Kylie are the best professionals in the detective business"  
"Oh, she said that? How nice of her", Richard shoots me a glance which I translate to _'What the hell is going on?'_. I ask Saki-san,  
"So, how can we help you?"  
Her mouth which was partly open, now closes. She looks at me for a minute. I notice that her face is not just pale, but the smile she has on in that picture seems to be foreign to her. Saki-san looks at Ryo and then back at me. Ryo straightens up a bit. The oddness in her movements couldn't have escaped his eyes. She finally says in a voice too low,  
"I need you to find someone"  
Her eyes have become moist. This is serious. Before I can say anything, she says,  
"Miss Reika told me that I don't need to pay her. I am not aware of your mutual dealings but, if you need me to pay a fee, I will. I will pay any amount you want. Just, help me. Please"  
This is a lot more suspicious. Reika-san is hiding something. I console Saki-san,  
"Why don't we talk about that later? Let's discuss the matter at hand now. Who is that person you want us to find?"  
Saki-san seems to be either short on words or unable to speak. Poor lady. The person she is looking for must be really close to her. She says,  
"I live with my grandparents. Ever since I was 12, they have been taking in children who are not wanted. Mostly, children with a bad past. Ours is not really an orphanage. The man I need you to find used to visit us… the kids regularly, once in a week. His father was a close friend of my father's. Both of them passed away when I was a child"  
"And who is he to you, the man you want us to find?"  
Again, with the silence. But this time, she burst into tears. We both panicked. Ryo said to her,  
"Oi! Miss Saki, are you alright? What's wrong?"  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to just… cry. I'm so sorry", she pulls out a handkerchief from her purse and wipes away her tears. Her tears still flow without hesitation. I say,  
"Miss Saki, it's okay. Please, calm down. Are you alright?". I move towards her chair and place a hand on her back, below her neck. Her skin felt so cold. Could she be sick? I ask again,  
"Are you okay?"  
"I am. Thank you. And I'm sorry"  
"It's fine. You don't have to apologize. Are you not feeling well?"  
"No, I am fine, thanks"  
I sit next to Ryo on the couch. We both look at each other, confused about what Reika-san had signed us up for. Miss Saki continues,  
"He is my… my lover"  
"WHAT?!", Ryo suddenly stand and clenches his fist. He points a finger at the startled Saki and shouts, "I settled for the absence of the glow from the picture because you have a hot body! But, this is unacceptable! Why did you have to have a boyfriend?! What about me now?!"  
THUD!

Ryo is busy trying to get out of the pile of rubbish that settled over him after I hammered him into a wall. I ask Miss Saki, who frankly looks a bit frightened,  
"How did it happen?"  
"It was all fine. But, one morning, I was feeling very uneasy. Terrified. I asked him not to leave my sight, but he told me that my fears were irrational and that he would be fine. He left and I never saw him again", another stream of tears flows. But she seems a bit more in control of herself now. I say,  
"I am sorry. When did this happen?"  
"Five years, seven months, 24 days ago"  
"Five years?!"  
For a second, I think, she is joking. But, she doesn't look like she is. Ryo comes and resumes his seat. He asks,  
"What does the police say about this?"  
Saki looks a bit flustered,  
"I did not go to the police"  
"Why not?", I ask in shock. What is with this woman?  
"He… his work was associated with the underworld. He had told me not to contact the police if anything ever happens to him"  
"When did you realize he is missing?"  
"We were supposed to go to a play that day – Othello"  
She is crying again. I can't stop an adult female from crying. But, I try.  
"Miss Saki, please don't cry. Let's talk about the case, okay? What happened that day?"  
"I was waiting for him on the bridge in the Okinawa park, like always. He never showed up"  
"Was that after the day you told him not to go?"  
"The very next day"  
Ryo said,  
"It's been five years. What did you do all this time?"  
"I couldn't go to the police. Nor did I know of his whereabouts. I waited for him at home. I waited for him on the bridge every evening at 6:00 pm. I still do…", she wipes away her tears, "I once visited his apartment. But, the family which lived there had moved out"  
"Why are you looking for him now?"  
"Someone I used to work for asked me to meet Miss Reika. I did and she directed me to you"  
"Who do you work for?", Ryo asks.  
"I am a high school teacher. I worked as an English tutor for someone. He is the one who told me about Miss Reika"  
"Did you ever enquire at any morgue?", Ryo asks.  
"He is not dead. I am going to find him. And I hope, you will help me"  
Ryo and I study her in silence as she dabs at her eyes.

"Miss Saki, it's been five years. Honestly, it is going to be tough. We cannot guarantee you 100% success. But, we will try. We need more details and yes, we will be glad to help you. What do you say?", I turn to Ryo. He nods, "We will do our best"  
"Thank you very much"  
"We will need his name, picture, any other information you have"  
"I have his pictures with me. Just a minute", she fumbles through her purse. An envelope falls out of it onto the floor, along with the pictures inside it.  
"Sorry", she mutters and tries to pick those up. I kneel down on the floor and help her. I pick up a picture of her being kissed on the cheek by a guy. His face cannot be seen clearly but hers… it just shines! A smile bright enough to light up a room and a distinctly visible blush adorn her face. She looks so happy. I look at her now and she doesn't seem happy at all. She actually seems lifeless, like she is trying to gather each bit of life that remains inside her. Poor Saki. I say,  
"Miss Saki, you look so beautiful in this picture. And I love your smile!"  
"Thank you", she tries to put the photos in a short pile. I show the picture to Ryo. His eyebrows arch in response and a smile appears on his face. I sit next to him and whisper,  
"It is definitely her, but so different". He just nods. Saki is by now sitting back on the chair and she picks out two pictures and hands us one each.  
"I am sorry. I don't have a picture of him alone. Those are couple pictures we took at an amusement park one day. We were…"  
I am unable to hear anything more she is saying, unable to move or even glance at Ryo to note his reaction. This can't be… this can't be true. My eyes widen and my hands tremble as I stare at the photograph in my hands. A very joyous Saki laughing with her supposed lover. My world comes to a halt as Saki's words echo,  
**"His name is Hideyuki Makimura"**

Author's Bragging Note: Shocker, eh? Mwahahahaha... *gets punched in the face*


	2. Kaori: All Lies?

A/N: Here's your weekly update on this story, people. It's chapter two which deals more with Ryo and Kaori than Saki. Some changes in the original CH canon have been made. I hope that you all like it.  
Music is my inspiration for many of the chapters in this story. So, I thought, why not share that with you? Henceforth, I will add a note about the music which I listened to while writing the chapter. I am from the home of Bollywood after all. Music is a must! :P

Feedback: Thanks to videlbideru and Daksha for their reviews. I appreciate it very much that you took the time to review my story after you read it. Thanks again!

Theme: **'Footprints In The Sand'** by Leona Lewis. That song describes Kaori's feelings towards her late brother so beautifully. It seems like the song was written for these two! It's great. 3

Disclaimer: I do not own City Hunter or its characters. Neither do I owe the songs I recommend at the beginning of the chapters of this story.

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**Kaori: All Lies?**

"_His name is Hideyuki Makimura"_ – Miss Saki said that so effortlessly. It's impossible. My brother had a lover he never told me about - it just can't happen. He was not just a brother, but my best friend too. We never kept any secrets from each other. He was the only family I had and I was the same to him. He always seemed so proud of me. How am I supposed to believe it when a woman I never knew existed says to me that my brother was her lover? Still, it's hard to not believe her. The look in her eyes, the way she talks about him, the sorry state she is in – it all speaks volumes about her. She does not seem like someone who might be lying. I just don't know what to believe. The past as I know it, seems to have changed with a stroke of chance. _'Why, aniki? Did you not think me worthy enough to share such an important secret?'_

I just sit there on the couch, motionless and traumatized. Saki waits for me and Ryo to say something. Ryo seems surprised too, of course. He finally says,  
"Miss Saki, we will need some more information. That will take some time. Could we meet again tomorrow? In the afternoon, perhaps"  
"Yes, sure. Should I come back here tomorrow?"  
"Would it be fine if we visited your place instead?", he says to her and I look at him questioningly.  
"Yes. That would be no problem at all. I will write the address for you…", she says and begins writing on a piece of paper from her purse, "…this is my telephone number".  
She hands the paper to Ryo and bows to us, "Thank you very much, Mrs. Gonzalez, Mr. Gonzalez. I will wait for you two at home tomorrow. Thank you very much".  
Ryo smiles at her. I get on my feet and ask her,  
"C-can we keep these pictures?"  
"Of course. Thank you. Allow me to take your leave now", she bows again and walks to the door. I reluctantly walk with Ryo to see her off.

I stand by the window, the photograph in my hands and tears flowing rapidly out of my eyes. Less than an hour ago, my world was seemingly perfect. When I looked out at the streets in the morning, I saw only the crowd. But when I look at it now, I see my brother's shadow, walking to this building like he used to, every morning. I turn away bitterly. Why would he hide something so important from me? There was no reason for him to not tell me that he loved someone. I wipe my tears away when I hear Ryo's footsteps getting closer. He stands at a distance from me,  
"Hey"  
"Hey", I say and look away.  
"I… I had no idea about this. Makimura never told me about someone like Miss Saki"  
"He didn't tell me either. All this time, I thought, Saeko-san was his girlfriend"  
"No, Kaori. It was not as simple as that. Saeko and Makimura were definitely more than friends but there was more to it"  
Another revelation. All these years... all lies? I wait for Ryo to speak further. He says,  
"Saeko was confused. She said that she loved the both of us – me and Makimura. The truth is that she was not even sure if she loved us. There were many men who had fallen for her and she was utterly confused. When Makimura came to know that I too wanted to be with Saeko, he pretended that she was just a friend to him and that he never had any feelings for her"  
"What did she say to that?"  
"She did not react to it in any way. She continued dating other men and Makimura thought she had gotten over him"  
"What about you?"  
"Well, I waited for her"  
"More like, you waited for an ippatsu with her", I said. Ryo shrugged with a grin,  
"Yeah. Maybe"  
I asked,  
"So, why didn't aniki tell either one of us about Miss Saki?"  
Ryo smiled,  
"As much as I knew him, possessive Maki-chan did not want me to make passes at his girl"  
"Oh… Then, why did he not tell me about it?"  
"I don't know. But, if Miss Saki is telling the truth, I don't see why Makimura would keep their relationship a secret"  
I frowned,  
"What do you mean by 'if Miss Saki is telling the truth'? You were here only. You saw her. What makes you think she could be lying? She seemed so devastated… and she is yet to know that aniki is no more. Oh my god. Ryo, how do we tell her that he is no more?"  
"Kaori, don't let your kindness take over your professional instincts. We can't afford to give someone the benefit of doubt. For all we know, she could be an old enemy of Makimura"  
"But, the pictures and…"  
"With the help of technology, it has become easy to manipulate pictures"  
I protest and hold up the picture for him to see,  
"Does this look fake to you? It is him! It is clearly him!"  
"I agree that this picture does not look like it has been tampered with. As much as I know, it looks original. But, we can't let our guard down. Not in such a sensitive case"  
I calm down and sigh. Ryo is right. I never considered the possibility that Miss Saki might be lying. It's because she does not seem like a fraud. And what could someone possibly gain with such a lie? Truth be told, my instincts tell me that she is not messing around. But, I choose to keep my thoughts on that to myself.

"I am going out to dig some more information on this client of ours", Ryo announces as he comes back from his room and walks down the stairs. I say,  
"I'll come too"  
"I have some other errands to run as well. You should stay at home"  
"But… I also have to check on the board"  
"I will do that. You take the day off"  
"No. I am coming with you"  
"Kaori, I am not going to meet Saeko under the pretence of getting information and ask her to pay up"  
I blush,  
"I never said that! And besides, what do I care if you go to her or even to any other woman? Go wherever you want to"  
"Will you be alright?", he asks me with concern. This man… always catching me off guard. I feel embarrassed and say,  
"Y-yes", I stammer, "I will be fine"  
"Okay then! I will go look for a beauty in need of an umbrella!", Ryo exclaims and runs out before my hammer can hit him. _'Jerk'_, I fume. I decide to follow him nonetheless.

It is a residential area of Shinjuku. Thankfully, Ryo did not take the car and I was able to follow him on foot. He walks to an apartment building. This is definitely not Detective Saeko's place. Whose place is it then? I hide behind a wall when Ryo takes a turn. He proceeds to ring the door bell to a ground floor apartment. But then, he sighs and looks in my direction. _'Crap! He saw me!'_, I look for an exit. But, it's of no use. I better confront him about who he is visiting. I take a deep breath and walk to him. He asks,  
"Why are you not at home?"  
I cross my arms and exhale,  
"Just because I am a woman, it does not mean that I have to miss out on all the action. I have the full right to come here with you"  
"Idiot!", he shakes his fist at me, "I told you to stay at home because Reika would not answer her phone and I wanted you to be there in case she visits us!"  
"You are lying! You didn't want me to come here with you because you want to meet some woman without my knowledge!"  
"Why are you always so jealous?!"  
"How dare you say that?! Why would I be jealous of a ghastly low life like…"  
"Hey! Who the hell is yelling outside my apartment?!", I hear a woman yelling in Japanese. Ryo puts a hand on my mouth and pulls me aside. He signals me to keep quiet,  
"Ssh. I came here to get some information. But the woman…"  
"So it IS a woman! Mmm", he puts his hand on my mouth again. He whispers sharply,  
"Sssshh! She is a dangerous character. And you suit her tastes to a tee. Just get out of here"  
"Tastes?"  
"She is a lesbian"  
"L-lesbian?"  
"Who the fuck is making all the ruckus?", a white woman comes out of the apartment. Ryo pushes me into a corner along with himself. The woman jerks her head in our direction, "You there!"  
"Run!", Ryo grabs my hand and makes a run for it. To my surprise, the woman grabs us both by our collars. I am already a foot above ground, "Ah!"  
She turns us around and I see her face. Another pretty foreigner. But, wasn't she speaking Japanese? Her face soon contracts in a furious glare when she sees Ryo, "You…"

We are dragged inside the weird woman's house. I am sitting timidly across her on a couch and Ryo is standing near her. He says cheerily,  
"Come on, Caru-chan. Is this how you treat your old friend?"  
"Shut up! You are not my friend and you never were! What were you doing outside my house?", she shouts at Ryo. He tries to smile,  
"I was just passing by and thought I might say 'hello' to you. By the way, your body seems to have been unaffected by all these years. Ahahahaha…"  
I sigh as Ryo shamelessly tries to grope her. She pushes his face away,  
"Give me the real reason why you are here, you prick"  
Ryo gives her some more excuses and she answers him with cheap swear words. Annoyed with Ryo's flirting and the woman's yelling, I shout,  
"Tell her already that you are here for some information!"  
The woman throws me a sideway glance and Ryo sighs. He says,  
"Kaori, this is Carol. She is a former US agent and a forgery expert. She is also a master of hand to hand combat"  
She looks at Ryo,  
"The girl said something about some information. What happened to the old geezer called Tetsu?"  
He says,  
"Tetsu had no clue"  
"So, you came crawling back to me, eh?"  
"That is true, I guess. Anyway, how would you like to be paid for it, Caru-chan?", he goes back to his goofy self. The woman says,  
"I am married now, you horny rascal. Get your face away from me!"  
Ryo doesn't quit,  
"Adultery will be fun! Let's try…" BAM!  
I scold him, "This is why I have to follow you everywhere!"

Ryo grins and reveals his missing teeth from my latest attack. The woman asks,  
"What kind of info?"  
"A person. She claims to be a high school teacher", he says.  
"Name?"  
"Saki Nogawa", Ryo says. I wait in anticipation. The woman thinks for a moment and shrugs casually,  
"Never heard of her"  
My shoulder goes limp. Why did she pretend to think so hard then? Ryo hands her a picture,  
"This is her. And…"  
"Ain't this your old partner?"  
I ask, "You knew him?"  
She smiles, "Yeah. I knew your brother"  
She knows who I am. I look at Ryo for an explanation. He continues,  
"Is this picture real?"  
"I am 98% sure it is"  
"Do you recognize her from somewhere?"  
"She is some plain chick who teaches at Byounkai High School. A shitty place that is. Full of juvenile delinquents and what not"  
"What else?"  
"I met her in a train once"  
"Really?"  
"Yep. She looked like some hot zombie in a dress. Caught my eye, so I chatted her up"  
"Does she have any suspicious background?"  
"Chick is clear as sparkling water, as much as I know"  
Ryo stands and walks towards me. I stand too,  
"Thank you, Carol. We will take your leave now"  
"What about my fees?"

Ryo pouted,  
"And you hit me when I said that. How about tonight?"  
"I am talking about your partner"  
I freeze. Ryo tries to convince her, "Caru-chan, my partner doesn't swing that way, you know"  
"20 minutes"  
I hold onto Ryo's arm and shake my head vigorously. I whisper, "Ryo, I am telling you. I am not going to do something like 'that'. No chance"  
He whispers back, "I understand. I will get us out of here. Don't worry"  
Carol touches my shoulder from behind. I slowly turn around and see her smile sweetly,  
"This scumbag here probably told you that I am a lesbian. But, don't worry. I am a straight, married woman with two gorgeous children. I just want to have a chat with you"  
Ryo whispers to me, "Lesbian…"  
She scowls and kicks Ryo out of the house, "Get out!"  
She closes the door and smiles at me,  
"Please don't be scared, Kaori-san. Relax. I will get you some coffee"  
I nod and she goes to another room. My palms have begun to turn sweaty when I see Ryo outside the window. I rush to open it and say,  
"What now?"  
"Let's get you out of here", he says and extends a hand towards me, "Aaargh!"  
Carol throws a saucer at his head and yells,  
"Leave us alone!"  
She closes the window and sets the food tray on the table. I reluctantly follow her to the couch. She hands me a cup of coffee and some snacks. She smiles and says in English,  
"I hope, you won't mind me speaking good ol' Texan. Too much Japanese makes me throaty"  
I stare as she lets her hair down and relaxes. She asks me,  
"What do you think of Saeba?"  
I am surprised but I say, "Well, he is my partner. That's all"  
"Why does he look like he loves you?"  
I blush and wave a hand, "No, no. It's nothing like that"  
"Good god. Reluctant love… Let me tell you a little story, Kaori"

"I was new in Japan, an international agent for the US government. I was here to settle permanently. After a few assignments, the stinky corruption got me off my game. And I resigned from the job in exchange for an office job in the Municipal office. For an old friend's sake, I volunteered to help ex-detective Makimura on a case. He was working with Saeba", she said.  
I listened curiously. She told,  
"Long story short, I fell for the charms of that pervert. I fell so fuckin' hard that we spent a night together"  
I look up at her face. She seems nostalgic… and happy. All the women who have 'been with' Ryo always seem so happy when they talk about it. I wonder what it must be like. My face turns red at that thought. _'No, no, no, no! What is wrong with you, Kaori? Why are you thinking about…'_  
"You alright, Kaori?", Carol asks. I nod repeatedly. She smiles,  
"As I was saying, after we broke a bed, I told Saeba that I love him. And the asshole dumped me"  
"Ryo really did that?"  
"Yep. He was mad at me for falling in love with him. He left me there like cat shit and walked out"  
"I-I am sorry…"  
"For many years, I hated him for that. But then, I met Takeshi. And sparks flew", she smiled, "Takeshi is such a kind man. He accepted me the way I am. He even convinced his parents to approve of our marriage. We got married in the spring of '86. And at my wedding, when I had forgotten all about him, I saw Ryo"  
I don't know how to respond. I listen as she speaks,  
"He was there only for a moment. He left when he realized that I saw him. It really bothered me. I had a long discussion with Takeshi. He said that some people consider themselves a threat to everyone. And so, knowingly or unknowingly, they push away the people they really care about. I wasn't in love with Ryo anymore, but I understood why he didn't want me to get close to him"  
I know that about Ryo. He feels like he will end up hurting everyone who gets too close to him. Idiot.  
"You are smiling", Carol says. I shrug, still smiling. She says, "I told you all this because I think he loves you. And you seem like you love him too. Just remember, he may say the most demeaning stuff. He may hurt you and say that you are nothing to him. But, he doesn't mean any of it. He just wants to make sure you don't love him. So, whatever he does, never let him go. In the end, he is totally worth it"  
"I know, he is", I blush, "And, I promise, I won't let go of him"  
"That a girl", she says, "Do you know why he was so willing to get you outta here? Because he knew I would tell you all this. He loves you and doesn't want you to think he is some sort of loser. He wouldn't do this for any normal girl he hooked up with"  
"I see", I really need to stop blushing.

Carol walks me to the door. She hands me her card,  
"Here's my number. You need any help, forgery, fake documents, pressurizing authorities, getting back your money from anywhere – you call me"  
"Thank you very much, Mrs. Yamamoto. I really appreciate it", I say.  
"Anytime, sweetie", she closes the door. I walk towards the stairs but I hear her calling my name,  
"And, Kaori". I turn around.  
"You probably know this already but, Saeba likes it when he gets to take the lead in bed. Have fun", she winks at me and closes the door.  
I am embarrassed beyond measure. I look around hastily to see if someone heard us. I breathe in relief and walk out of the building. Ryo catches up with me,  
"Did she molest you?"  
"No!", I say, "And were you waiting here the whole time?"  
"I just wanted to make sure you were safe, Kaori-chan", he grins.  
"Yeah, right"  
"So, what happened?"  
"Nothing"  
"You mean, you just sat there?"  
"She took my mind off of some stress, I will tell you that"  
"Kaori, don't worry"  
"Hm?"  
"We will go to Miss Saki's place tomorrow and find out the truth"  
"Don't worry about me. I know, you got it"  
"Got what?"  
"The case. I mean, I know that you will handle it well"  
We smile at each other. He puts an arm around my shoulders as we walk,  
"Yeah. We will"


	3. Ryo: It Is Typical

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to site user and a friend, **ScriptAngel**, who has been helping me with my other stories too. Thank you so much, girl! :D  
Thank you for reading my story. Any kind of feedback is always appreciated.

Disclaimer: I do not own City Hunter or its characters. But, I own all the OCs. :3

Glossary: 1) wa-shitsu – Japanese style rooms  
2) Ojiichan – Japanese for grandfather  
3) Obaachan – Japanese for grandmother  
4) Itadakimasu – a Japanese etiquette: people say 'itadakimasu' before a meal, which means 'I humbly receive'  
5) 'Kaori' – the name means 'fragrance'

* * *

**Ryo: It Is Typical**

I am sitting on my bed, with my head clasped in my hands. Another nightmare did the courtesy of visiting me when I was deep asleep. I broke into a sweat at the shrill cries from the dream and jolted in bed. Now I am wiping that sweat away with my shirt which was lying on the floor. I sigh and look up at the ceiling. It is one of those nights when my old wounds ache and I begin to give in to the haunted memories – memories of the people I have killed, wounded, hurt, left to die and brought death upon. For years, my only solution to get over that feeling of self disgust was alcohol. I would drink so much that my brain refused to let anything seep in. It would be all silver streams and candid seams then. Not anymore though. The best solution to my nightmares is asleep in her room on the ground floor.

I put on a shirt and take some binoculars with me. In case, I get caught, it would be better to be beaten with a shirt on. The binoculars would provide a good excuse for entering her room under the pretext of peeping at the neighbors. I walk down the stairs and keep walking till I reach her room. I slowly turn the doorknob with the expertise I have gained at doing it. The door makes a slight creaking sound and I see her stir in her sleep. To my relief, she becomes motionless again. I approach her bed. Why did she have to sleep with her back facing me? Now I have to tiptoe to the other side. I do so and come to a halt as I see her sleeping face. It looks so peaceful. A smile makes its way to my face as I lean towards her. She snores, very lightly, like a baby. Her mouth is a bit open and her little nostrils flare subtly as she inhales the cold air. Her chest rises and falls with every deep breath. Her chest…  
_'Don't think about her chest'_, I shake my head vigorously. I try to concentrate on her face. Her lips are puckered into an O shape. So kissable… I shake my head again and look away. Little Saeba is up already. "Damn you", I mutter and look at it. I take a deep breath and look at Kaori again. My frown disappears immediately. I wonder why she had to be so adorable. Just looking at her assures me of a better tomorrow. It soothes my anxiety and my fears. It does seem creepy to come and watch her sleep when I need to, but I wish, there was a better alternative. I move closer to her face and touch my forehead to hers,  
_'Sleep well, gorgeous'_.  
I move away and see her small mouth curl up into a smile. That's all the therapy I need.

It is morning and I am lying awake in my bed though my eyes are closed. We have to go meet Miss Saki in the afternoon. It's such an unexpected mystery. Makimura was good at keeping secrets but, it never seemed like he had such a big one. The thought of him having a girlfriend would have seemed ridiculous to anyone who knew him. But, Miss Saki has enough evidence to prove that she had a relationship with him, a romantic one. He was not someone to laugh haughtily or kiss a girl in public, but the pictures say otherwise. To be completely sure, we need to hear the whole story of how they met, how they kept meeting and how they fell in love. Reika has disappeared too, all of a sudden. If only she were here, we could have some more insight into this story. But, she went out of town the same afternoon we met Miss Saki. Moreover, Kaori was crying after Miss Saki left. It's only natural. She has never had the chance to mourn freely over Makimura's death. Whenever someone mentions him, it's hard for her to stay in control. I wonder if there's anything I can do to help her.

I hear Kaori's footsteps getting closer. It's 11:00 am now; she must be coming upstairs to wake me. I pretend to be snoring and sprawl freely across the bed. She soon enters my room,  
"Ryo, wake up. We have to meet Miss Saki at 1:00 pm. It's 11:00 already. Come on, wake up"  
I don't move at all. She walks to my bed and shouts,  
"Hey! Ryo, wake up. We have work to do. Wake up!"  
Her fragrance lifts my spirits. They didn't name her 'Kaori' for no reason. I swear if it weren't for the obvious reasons, I would have grabbed her by the waist and made love to her then and there just for smelling so sweet. But, I can't. So, I growl and put a pillow over my head to drive away the scent. She pulls away my covers and snatches my pillow.  
"Get up, I said!", she hits me with the pillow.  
But she covers her face in embarrassment when she notices the regular morning bulge in my briefs. She throws the pillow at my head and yells,  
"Get your sleazy self out of bed soon or you won't be getting any breakfast!"  
I turn over to the other side when she exits the room. She doesn't seem in a very good mood today. I guess it's because of our current case. I get out of bed nonetheless, as it would be a waste of a day if I missed out on a delicious breakfast. If you are having the worst day of your life, eat something made by Kaori Makimura. It will help a great deal. Kaori would make a great wife with all her skills and attributes. _'Shut up. Just, shut up'_, I sigh.

Our ride to the Nogawa House is disturbingly quiet. Kaori just keeps looking out of the window. There could be many reasons as to why she is so quiet since yesterday. Maybe it is because of this unusual revelation or fraud, whichever it is. Could it be that Carol told her about us? I mean, there was no 'us'. It was just a one-time thing. We were young, she was hot, and like a true gentleman, I backed away when I thought it could get serious. My timing was very bad though. Carol said she loved me and I… just left. I even said hurtful things to her which I shouldn't have. But, it was needed. If she had to get over me, she would have to hate me. It's hard to explain, but, I respected her enough to help her stop loving me.  
I relax a little as we pass another traffic light. Kaori is still not talking. As much as I know her, Carol wouldn't gossip or bad mouth someone like that. She would call that person a thousand foul things, but she wouldn't poison someone's mind. And Kaori has not been acting different, she is just quiet. It is bugging me a lot though. If not the visit to Carol, it has to be Makimura's memories. The possibility of Maki-chan not sharing something as important as that with his only sister was very low. Kaori has taken it pretty badly. But, what comfort can I provide her with except for words? I say,  
"Kaori"  
She glances at me. I say, looking straight ahead,  
"Whatever this is, a lie or a bitter truth, we will figure it out together"  
"I know, we will, Ryo. But, that's not what I am worried about", she moves away from the window and looks at me, "What are we going to do when we get to her house? I am pretty sure it won't be an ambush or something. Still, what are we going we to do?"  
"We will go to the house, act casually for a while and when it's time, we will ask her to let us in on her and Makimura's story"  
"Yes. That sounds fine", she looks away. I say,  
"You could have stayed at home if you wanted to"  
"No. I have to hear what Miss Saki has to say", she looks resolute and sad too. The last time I saw her this way was when I told her about her brother's death. I am just hoping this is all a sham. It will be easier for us both to recover from a physical assault than an emotional one.

We reach the given address and get out of the car. Kaori shades her eyes from the sun with the back of her hand,  
"Is it that old one near the beach?"  
"Maybe. There are not many houses around. That must be it"  
We walk towards the big, old house. It seems ancient and looks like a typical Japanese house. The walls seem to be made of wood, not painted. And the roof is made of tiles. There's a huge cherry blossom tree in the front yard. I bet, it has wa-shitsu style rooms too. The house is at a walking distance from the beach. But, the beach is isolated and no bikini wearing beauties are around. Damn.  
We keep walking and see Miss Saki coming out of the house.  
"There", Kaori notes.  
We see Miss Saki pouring a bucket of water around the cherry blossom tree. She looks up and sees us approaching. She sets the bucket down and walks briskly towards us. She bows when we are two feet apart,  
"Good afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Gonzalez"  
That. I had completely forgotten about that. I say sheepishly,  
"No need for formalities, Miss Saki. Feel free to call us Richard and Rylie"  
"Kylie", Kaori whispers. I say,  
"Rylie… as in Richard and Kylie. Ahahaha! You may call us whatever you want"  
"Sure. Please, follow me to the house"  
She walks ahead of us. Involuntarily, my eyes move downwards. Her maxi dress is not well fitting below the waist. I crane my neck for a better look at her butt and Kaori pulls me up by the ear. She shoots me a deathly glance. This is another reason why I would have preferred for her to stay at home.  
Miss Saki asks,  
"Did you have any trouble finding the house?"  
"Not really", I say.  
She says, still looking straight ahead,  
"D-did you find any information?"  
I say,  
"We are working on it"  
"Thank you"  
"You don't have to thank us over and over again", Kaori says. I glance at her to make sure she is fine. She looks like she is.

We enter the small gate to the big house after Miss Saki does. I am looking up at the cherry blossom when I hear the sound of cheerful laughter and giggles from behind the house. There are children playing near the beach. And they all look like they are having a great time. I look back at Miss Saki as she says,  
"Welcome"  
We remove our shoes dutifully before entering the house. The drawing room is a wa-shitsu, after all. Kaori is eyeing the room while I notice an elderly couple sitting on a tatami mat. A beautiful young girl is sitting next to them. She has opaque eyes and she seems… different. Miss Saki does the introductions,  
"Mr. Gonzalez, Kylie-san, these are my grandparents. Ojiichan, Obaachan, they are Mr. and Mrs. Gonzalez. And this is Nadoko"  
Nadoko turns around and bows in a direction to our right. The old lady says to her gently,  
"A little to the left"  
The four people bow to us,  
"Welcome to our humble abode"  
Kaori and I bow too, in embarrassment, of course. These people are too formal. It doesn't take me much to realize that Nadoko is visually impaired. Miss Saki signals to the mat in front of her grandparents,  
"Please, be seated. I will be with you shortly"  
With their narrow eyes and wrinkled faces, I am guessing that the old couple has been alive since World War 1. Miss Saki's grandfather is a bit darker in complexion than her grandmother. Nadoko is beautiful though. The three have one thing in common – they look very homely and hospitable.

We are sitting in front of the couple and Nadoko. I can still faintly hear the noise from the kids at the beach. I take a deep breath. This place seems so fresh and peaceful. A cool breeze blows in when Nogawa-san says to me,  
"Saki told us about your detective agency. We really appreciate you helping her"  
"It has been five years. But, she hasn't lost hope", his wife says.  
I say,  
"It must have been very hard for her and for you too"  
Nogawa-san says,  
"Hideyuki-kun is a very fine young man. We knew his father too. He passed away when Hideyuki-kun was only 15"  
Kaori asks all of a sudden,  
"You knew m… I mean, his father?"  
"Yes. He was a friend of Takayuki – my son"  
I ask,  
"So, Makimura-san used to visit you with his family?"  
"Yes. His wife passed away when Hideyuki-kun was a toddler. He and Hideyuki-kun used to visit us. But…", Nogawa-san seems hesitant, "Something happened and their visits became rare"  
Kaori asks,  
"What happened?"  
"A family issue", he clears his throat, "Hideyuki-kun continued to visit us even after his father passed away. He has always been such a polite young lad"  
Mrs. Nogawa has kept quiet all this time. She says meekly,  
"You will find him, won't you?"  
I am surprised by her sudden question. I look at Kaori who seems speechless. I say,  
"We will do our best"  
"Please, find him", Nogawa-san joins his palms and bows. I plead,  
"Nogawa-san, please don't embarrass us. I promise you, we will try to find him, whatever it takes"  
Mrs. Nogawa has already begun crying by now. She says weakly,  
"Ever since he went missing, our Saki has been so different. You know how they say, 'when you leave someone's world, you take a part of their world with you which can't be replaced'. Hideyuki-kun did that to my Saki when he disappeared. We beg you, Gonzalez-san, please find him"  
Kaori is on the verge of crying. I put a hand on her shoulder. She looks at me pleadingly. I shake my head lightly. It does make me feel guilty for lying to them, but, there's no alternative.

"You are of Spanish descent, Saki said", Nogawa-san tries to change the subject after his wife has calmed down. Reika must have fed that to Miss Saki. I nod,  
"Y-yes, I am. But, my wife here is 100% Japanese"  
He smiles,  
"Our daughter-in-law was a foreigner - Saki's mother"  
Mrs. Nogawa fondly adds,  
"She was an Indian - Maya. My son was in the navy. He went to India during a vacation and came back with her. She was so beautiful and elegant. And loving"  
"Her family didn't approve of Takayuki and were willing to kill them both for their supposed 'honor'. But, he fled to Japan with her. They got married in a monastery here after she became a citizen, and within a year, our precious Saki was born", Nogawa-san reminisced. I ask,  
"What happened to them? I mean, how did they…"  
Nogawa-san's smile disappears. He sighs,  
"When Saki was 5 years old, the navy men brought a brutally wounded Takayuki home. The doctors said he was counting his last breaths. We were all mourning over my soon-to-be dead son. But, Maya didn't shed a tear. Saki was too young to understand what was going on. I remember that I was holding her. It was painful for everyone… that which happened. It was"  
He puts his hands into his kimono sleeves as another chilly breeze blows in. Mrs. Nogawa says,  
"She took one last glance at us, at Saki. She held Takayuki's hand and looked at him. You could see her love for him in her eyes. Just like that, she rested her head on his chest and they passed away together"  
"We are sorry to hear that", Kaori says. I can see that she is trying her best not to cry. Women and tragedies. This family has a lot of issues though. Parents die together, only child is left alone – it is typical. Nogawa-san says bitterly,  
"Saki was there. She saw everything. Ever since then, our innocent Saki has been taking care of everyone. She took care of the children we took in. She took care of us and acted like she didn't have a worry in the world. Always so happy and smiling…"  
Happy and smiling Miss Saki? That's hard to imagine. Nogawa-san continues,  
"Years later, Hideyuki-kun came into her life. I and my wife may be old, but we are not foolish. We knew that he was in love with our Saki and that she loved him back. And she seemed happier than before. It felt as if all her pain had been taken away. But, god couldn't stand to see her at peace. Hideyuki-kun disappeared and Saki sunk into depression. She waited for him. Five years is not a joke, you know. She still waits. But, she is no more like our happy, little Saki. She is just a glass hearted doll now"  
Mrs. Nogawa says,  
"She turned 30 years old this year. We have tried to persuade her to move on, to go forth with her life. But, she won't listen! If I see Makimura-kun again, I am going to ask him to return all those years to her. If he didn't mean to stay, why did he make her fall in love? Who knew he could be so heartless…"  
"That's not true!", Kaori exclaimed. All eyes are on her. I take control of the situation,  
"What she means is – we cannot blame him. Maybe he did not mean to disappear. Maybe he is or was in trouble himself"  
Nogawa-san shakes his head a little,  
"Five years, Gonzalez-san. Truth be told, we have given up all hope. But, we pretend like we haven't, for Saki's sake. She has a weak heart that child. It's terrible. Terrible"

Miss Saki walks into the room and says,  
"Mr. & Mrs. Gonzalez, kindly join us for lunch. Obaachan, Ojiichan, Nadoko?"  
We were definitely not hoping for this. I say,  
"I am sorry, but we can't…"  
Nogawa-san smiles politely,  
"We insist"  
Kaori tries to smile,  
"But…"  
"It would be an honor", the Nogawas say in unison and bow to us. I sigh and look at my partner. She gives a slight shrug.  
"You have left us no other option, it seems", Kaori smiles. Miss Saki nods and walks to her grandfather. She lends him a hand as he tries to get up. Mrs. Nogawa holds Nadoko's hand as they walk inside. Kaori and I follow them in. We enter another wa-shitsu which has a long table in the centre. There are kids sitting around the rectangular table, too many of them. I am mentally doing a head count when the youngest looking kid runs up and hugs Miss Saki. He barely reaches her waist. He looks up and says,  
"Mama, I am very hungry. I am 'furnished' "  
Miss Saki gently corrects him,  
"It's 'famished'"  
Kaori tugs at my sleeve and looks at me in disbelief. We stare at Miss Saki and her son as everyone else on the table continues to chat.  
_'Makimura's son'_, I find myself staring at the child who is hopping and asking his mother to 'kish' him. She does so and Kaori grabs my arm tighter. We look at each other as the horror takes over our eyes. It is… my best friend's son.


	4. Ryo: We Are Here To Listen

Disclaimer: I do not own City Hunter or its characters; neither do I own any of the songs I mention here. Also, the 'joke' about being Japanese in this chapter was found by me on a popular answering social site. I don't own it either. :D

A/N: Yosh! :3  
This is the last chapter of the first part of this story. The first part is about the current timeline of my fanfiction series about City Hunter (five years into Ryo and Kaori's partnership). The second part is about Saki's past and her story about Hideyuki. The third part is about Ryo and Kaori's investigation of the case. The second part will begin from the next chapter. Foreword, it will not have much focus on Ryo and Kaori. I have said before that this is an OC-centric story. They will be mentioned from time to time again though. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Just so anyone doesn't get confused, this is not the last chapter of this story.  
And I have decided to choose different honorifics. From now on, Saki will be referring to her grandma and grandpa as Sobo and Sofu respectively. :)

Glossary: i) Oneechan – Japanese for 'elder sister'  
ii) Oniisan – Japanese for 'elder brother'  
iii) Itadakimasu – a Japanese etiquette: people say 'itadakimasu' before a meal, which means 'I humbly receive'  
iv) Neesan – Japanese for 'sister'  
v) Tsuma – Japanese term equivalent to 'dear wifey' in English :3

Theme: _'Sweet Dreams'_ by Air Supply. The theme of this chapter is somewhat dark as it is related to crimes and tragedies. But, even though this song is not tragic, it goes well with the tone of this chapter and Saki's temperament.

* * *

**Ryo: We Are Here To Listen **

"There's your kiss. Now, go to the table and behave. We have guests over, see? Go, go, go", Miss Saki says to the kid. He giggles and sprints towards the table and sits next to the other kids. Kaori stutters,  
"Is-is that your s-son?"  
Miss Saki explains,  
"No. His name is Makoto. We took him in and he has been with us since a year. He likes to call me 'mother'. That's all"  
So, he is not Makimura's son. Man, that was scary! Kaori and I sigh together in relief. Miss Saki gives us an odd glance. I try to smile,  
"Uh, that's uh... How old is Makoto?"  
"Three or four years old. He doesn't know exactly", Miss Saki says while walking to the table. Her voice is very impassive for a woman who takes in orphans and takes care of them for free. It seems like a dead sigh. She is weird. I frown and she signals to the table,  
"Mr. Gonzalez, Mrs. Gonzalez, please"  
We walk to the table and take our seats on the mat. It's been days since I have dined while sitting like this. Kaori's eyes dart around the room. Miss Saki goes inside the kitchen.

Kaori is sitting to my left and Nogawa-san is sitting at the head of the table to my right. There are too many kids here. I count them mentally,  
'_1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9'_  
Two twin boys are setting bowls, chopsticks and dishes in front of everyone on the table. The other kids start making noise all of a sudden as they bicker over something. One of those guys scolds them,  
"Hey, quiet down. Oneechan will be here any minute"  
The kids sincerely adopt decent stances and stop talking. That's impressive. This actually does not seem like an orphanage. It seems like a house full of laughter and joy – something every child desires. Miss Saki soon walks in with a big pot in her hands.  
"Let me help", the twins say in unison and help Miss Saki to serve the food. Once they are done, the three sit down for lunch. Miss Saki sits next to her grandmother, in front of Kaori. She clears her throat,  
"Mr. and Mrs. Gonzalez, we are honored to have you with us for lunch. Allow me to do the introductions"  
She starts from the little girl sitting next to her,  
"This is Hime, Nadoko, Kota, Arata, Hikari, Akira, Makoto and the twins – Tabu and Toro. Children, these are Mr. and Mrs. Gonzalez"  
The kids bow their heads and smile at us. Nogawa-san smiles,  
"Children, do you know, Gonzalez-san is Spanish?"  
Excited whispers pass around the table. It's a good thing that I can speak Spanish, or else I would have come off as a fool if they asked me to say a few Spanish words. Kota says to me,  
"Oniisan, if you are Spanish, how can you speak Japanese?"  
I decide to lighten the mood,  
"Because I am Japanese"  
"Really?", he seems confused. I say,  
"Ashi wa nanbon desu ka?" (How many legs do I have?)  
"Nihon" (It means 'two legs' and also means 'Japan')  
"Sou deshou, watashi wa nihonjin desu yo!" (See? I am Japanese!)  
The kids laugh heartily. Mr. and Mrs. Nogawa grin too. This joke always gets everyone. We all look at Miss Saki in anticipation who seems lost in thought. She realizes that we are hoping for a reaction from her. She looks at us and gives a slight smile. It cannot be called a smile though. It is more like her lips twitched out of desperation. I wonder what her problem is. She never smiles, never speaks at a higher volume, she is always working and wearing white. White socks, white shoes, white dress and… maybe, white underwear. I might have to check that out later. I maintain a straight face and try not to giggle at the prospect of peeping at her. But, a lecherous grin appears on my face. It disappears soon enough when my partner points a mini hammer towards my crotch under the table. She narrows her eyes at me. I can read the Morse code, _"Don't even think about it, Ryo"_

It has been five years since Kaori became my partner. It is no wonder for me that she can read my mind in the most surprising situations. We are both looking at each other when I hear Miss Saki saying,  
"Shall we? Itadakimasu"  
"Itadakimasu!", everyone says and digs into their plates. I put a morsel into my mouth. It's delicious. The rice, the fish and the stock – it's splendid. Almost out of instinct, I start eating like a pig. Kaori scolds me through gritted teeth,  
"Behave. We are not at home, okay?"  
Mr. and Mrs. Nogawa smile at us. Mrs. Nogawa says,  
"Aw. You both look beautiful together. Do you have any kids?"  
Kaori chokes abruptly and her chopsticks fall on the table. Arata passes her a glass of water,  
"Are you alright, Neesan?"  
"Yes, thank you", she coughs. I answer Mrs. Nogawa's question,  
"We don't have any kids. But, we will soon"  
"Are you going to buy a baby?", Hime asks excitedly. Miss Saki corrects her,  
"Hime-chan, babies cannot be bought. They are sent to us by the gods"  
Hime asks, "You mean, like they show in cartoons? With a crane birdie?"  
"Yes", Miss Saki responds. I say,  
"We are not expecting or going to 'buy a baby'. What I meant was, we are trying"  
"You are praying for a baby?", Hime asks.  
Miss Saki says,  
"Hime-chan, it is rude to ask so many questions to our guests. Please eat your food"  
I smile and whisper loudly to Hime,  
"It's okay, Hime-chan. And yes, we are praying for a baby! A cute one like you"  
She grins pleasantly at me and Kaori. Mr. Nogawa asks,  
"How come you married a Japanese girl, Gonzalez-san?"  
Everyone looks at me and Kaori. It's true that I don't look Japanese, but what story should I make up now? Damn you, Reika. I look at Kaori for help. She just blushes and looks away. I take a deep breath and begin,  
"I was here on business. I met my dear Kylie while working on an assignment"  
"And it was love at first sight?", Hikari asks. I glance at Kaori and try to smile at Hikari,  
"Well, for me, it was"  
"What about you, Neesan?", Nadoko asks Kaori. She looks up and I can see that she is blushing hard. She hesitates a minute before saying,  
"I worked with him. It took me some time to get used to his… his _business ethics_. At first, I didn't like him at all though"  
Here we go. I chew on a mouthful of rice. Kaori continues,  
"Soon, I realized that he is not what he looks like. Underneath the goofy exterior, there is a man who will lay down his life for the ones he loves. And, long story short – I… I fell in love with him before I could stop myself"  
"Aww!", female cooing is heard across the table. I just stare at Kaori. She doesn't make eye contact for obvious reasons. I place my hand on hers under the table. She looks up at me. I whisper,  
"Nice story, tsuma"  
She turns beet red and tries to pull her hand away. I don't let go of it though. She looks at me in surprise, her blush becoming deeper and richer. I reluctantly let go of her hand and continue eating.

The scene at this table is really heartwarming. Kids who can't keep quiet and giggle every now and then, a motherly figure who keeps telling them to behave, an elderly couple which spoon feeds the youngest child (Makoto), and two guests who have rarely felt like they are part of a family – it feels great, almost blessed. I ask the kids,  
"So, where do you all go to school?"  
Kota says,  
"Byounkai Elementary School!"  
Arata – "Byounkai Elementary School"  
Hime – "Byounkai Elementary School!"  
Akira – "Byounkai Middle School"  
Hikari – "Byounkai High School"  
Makoto – "Byounkai Kindergarten!"  
Tabu – "Byounkai High School"  
Toro – "Byounkai High School"  
Nadoko – "Byounkai School for Gifted Young Adults"  
"Byounkai, is it? And what school does your Oneechan go to?", I say, referring to Miss Saki.  
Akira laughs a little too loudly than the others. He says,  
"Oneechan doesn't go to school! She teaches at Hikari-neesan's High School"  
Nogawa-san says,  
"Saki has been teaching at that school since years. I used to be a principal at the school. I retired when Saki was only five, the year my son and daughter-in-law passed away"  
"Would you like some salad, Sofu?", Miss Saki says and serves her grandpa some salad. His plate was already full. He takes the clue and keeps quiet. We hear the doorbell ring.  
"I will get it", Tabu tries to get up. Miss Saki stops him,  
"Don't. You have your lunch, I will get it"  
She walks out of the room to the main door. I can faintly hear bits of conversation. It is a man's voice, not really a young man; he could be in his late twenties or even in his early forties. They are speaking in English. Miss Saki is saying,  
"I am sorry. I have work to do"  
"But, Miss Saki…"  
"Would you like to join us for lunch?"  
"No. No, thanks. I think, I should go"  
"Suit yourself"  
"Miss Saki…", and she closes the door. I hear the sound of a car driving away when Miss Saki enters the room; Italian engine. Nogawa-san asks,  
"Who was it?"  
She takes her seat,  
"Onoda-san"  
Mrs. Nogawa smiles,  
"Well, what did he…"  
Miss Saki looks at her grandmother and shakes her head lightly. The old lady goes silent again and continues eating.

After lunch, I am sitting in the Nogawas' backyard. It gives a beautiful beach view. I relax against a wooden pillar while Kaori tilts her head a little and crosses her legs,  
"Lunch was nice"  
"Yes, it was", I agree. Kaori says,  
"I never even heard about this place or these people from him. How…"  
"Kaori…"  
"How could he not tell me something so important?"  
"I am telling you again – we cannot trust someone with our eyes closed"  
"So, you still think Miss Saki is lying?"  
"She is hiding something. That's for sure"  
"You are just being paranoid"  
"I am being cautious"  
I hear light footsteps. Miss Saki walks in and sits next to Kaori. I smile sincerely,  
"Thank you for the meal. It was great"  
"It is our earnest pleasure, Mr. Gonzalez. We don't have many guests here often", she says.  
Kaori tells her,  
"Your kids are very lovely. And so well mannered"  
"Oh. Thank you. They behave properly only in the presence of others. Even, my grandparents. I hope, both of them didn't bother you or anything. They start complaining about the pettiest things to even complete strangers"  
"No. They are both very kind and hostile", I comment. Miss Saki's long black locks flow across her face as a wind blows in. She puts a strand behind her ear with her fingers. She says,  
"So… you said yesterday that you wanted some more information"  
I say casually,  
"Yes. But, don't mind me, I am really curious. You said that this is not really an orphanage. What is it then?"  
Miss Saki narrates,  
"It just happened. When I was in middle school, my grandfather brought in a young boy. He told me and my grandmother that the boy was being forced to serve as a drug mule near the place my grandfather was working at. He began living with us. Soon, my grandfather brought in other children, caught in the clutches of crime. We provided them with shelter and a home. The police took away those who could be rehabilitated. Others stayed with us. People, who knew that we took care of underprivileged children, brought in some of them. Once, someone even left a baby at our doorstep. We took care of him for some days till he was sent to a government orphanage"  
"I see", I ask, "And, what do you teach at school?"  
"English and Mathematics. I teach other subjects too sometimes, but never Japanese", she says. Kaori asks,  
"Why not Japanese?"  
"I am not very good at teaching Japanese kanji", she answers. Makoto comes in running and flings his arms around Miss Saki's shoulders,  
"Mama! Nap time?"  
She says,  
"I am sorry, Makoto. But, I am busy at the moment. Why don't you ask your Hikari-neesan?"  
"Okay!", Makoto gives her a thumbs up. He says to me and Kaori, "See you later, Oniisan, Neesan!"  
I smile,  
"He is very close to you"  
"All of them are. They are adorable", Kaori adds. Miss Saki says,  
"Well, me, Sofu, Sobo and the other kids are the only family they have"  
"You are doing a very noble thing, Miss Saki", Kaori says. I see her smile for the first time today. Miss Saki nods humbly,  
"It is nothing much. We all have our own ways of caring for those who are not as privileged as us. But, these children are all we have now. They have seen so many bad things in their lives at such an early age that the very thought of sending them back into that cruel world gives me shivers"  
Kaori seems curious,  
"All of them?"  
Miss Saki nods and looks at the sea waves in the distance,  
"You might have noticed that Nadoko is visually impaired. She was not always blind. Her eyesight decreased day by day due to an accident. She suffered stab wounds in both her eyes when her uncle and aunt were trying to sell her to a pimp for child prostitution"  
"That is horrible!", Kaori exclaims. Miss Saki continues,  
"Toro and Tabu used to be shoplifters. They joined Byounkai High as part of their correctional program and I took over the responsibility of raising them"  
"Hikari was a run-away from home. The boy she eloped with tried to force himself on her. She escaped, but her parents didn't take her back in. I was her teacher at Byounkai when she was in class 9. She came to me after her parents refused to even see her face"  
"Akira was part of a travelling circus. He had been sold to them by his brother at the age of 4. The owner accused him of stealing money and he was sent into a correctional facility. I am his guardian"  
"Kota's father was a gardener at Byounkai. For the murder of a co-worker, he has been sentenced to lifetime in prison. He doesn't have a family. So, Kota stays with us"  
"Arata used to live with his uncle. He left the boy alone at home one night and the house 'caught fire, or was set on fire. Some brave fire fighters saved him though. His uncle is still missing. We don't have any legal authority over him, but he stays with us"  
"Hime was about to fall prey to a pedophile. She was rescued in time. Her parents meet her once in a year. They work with a Yakuza boss. They think she will be better off here"  
"Makoto was the victim of a child trafficking racket. But, he doesn't remember the name of his parents. And no one came looking for him either"

I know that the world we live in is not full of rainbows and sunshine. Crime never rests, nor does evil and monstrosity. I hear about things like these every now and then. But, it manages to piss me off every single time. At least, these kids are fortunate enough to have Miss Saki and her grandparents. Whereas, I… there's no use to dwelling in the past. What matters is that I made it so far. I made friends – Makimura, Robert, Kenny and the giant octopus. Maybe if all that had never happened to me, I wouldn't have met Kaori. Honestly, I would go through it all again if that's what it took to be with her. I glance at her sideways. She is gloomy and disturbed again. She looks a bit disgusted too. She says,  
"How can someone be so cruel towards children? It is beyond my understanding"  
Miss Saki stares at Kaori in surprise. Kaori tries to speak,  
"Um…"  
Miss Saki looks away,  
"I am sorry, Kylie-san. I didn't mean to stare. It is just that Hideyuki says the same thing. I mean, Makimura-san says the same thing"  
Kaori murmurs, evidently sad,  
"You mean, he 'used to' say the same thing?"  
"I am sure he will repeat it, someday when I meet him again", Miss Saki says.  
Again, what's with the ever hopeful attitude? Is it really so hard to consider the possibility of someone's death? Miss Saki is a grown up, mature woman who has waited five years for a man who didn't leave a trace behind. I don't understand why she never thought that he could be dead. You have enchanted this girl with some spell, Makimura. That is if she is telling the truth. If she is using my best friend's name for her selfish purposes, she will be sorry.  
"Did Makimura-san really visit you all regularly?", I ask.  
"Please, don't do that", Miss Saki says.  
"Do what?"  
"Refer to him in past tense", she stares at the ground. I try to play close to the bone,  
"But, you might have considered the possibility, right? The possibility of him being dead?"  
Miss Saki says defiantly,  
"He is not dead. I promised him that I would find him. If you think you cannot help me with that, I would be very grateful if you told me so already"  
Kaori says,  
"Miss Saki, please. _Richard_ didn't mean to hurt your feelings"  
"You don't have to apologize. I understand", she says timidly. Kaori looks at me in apprehension. This is going to be interesting. I finally say,  
"Why don't you tell us your story, Miss Saki? We are here to listen"


	5. Saki: Look At Him Through My Eyes

A/N: This chapter marks the beginning of the second part of this story. This part is all a flashback. Not much scope for the current timeline City Hunter characters here, but I am happy with this story. Thank you for the reviews and also, thanks in advance for reading my story. Grab a diet coke. It has been quite a while since I updated this story.

Theme: '_Greatest love Of All_' by Whitney Houston. That song describes Saki's nature and life to a tee. ^_^

Disclaimer: I do not own City Hunter or its characters. However, I own the OCs. Duh.

* * *

**Saki: Look At Him Through My Eyes**

A fresh morning breeze – just what I needed! I am walking calmly on a peaceful Friday morning. I take the same route every day. It's faster, shorter and takes me straight to school. I do have to cross the road a few times, but it's fine. The route is familiar and the people are too. I hum and keep walking as Gouda-san greets me while opening his shop,  
"Good morning, Saki-chan. Looking happy as always"  
"Good morning, Gouda-san. Looking handsome as always", I jest. He smiles and his wife does too. She says,  
"Good morning. How is the family?"  
"They are pining for you! Why don't you pay us a visit sometime?", I stop walking and grin. She laughs,  
"Oh, yes, we should do that. Tell your grandmother I said 'hello'"  
"A 'hello' it is. Bye. Have a great day", I bow and resume walking. A few other people greet me on my way to school. I am about to cross the road when Sakashi-san calls out to me,  
"Saki-kun, wait up!"  
I turn around and bow. I put on my best apologetic face,  
"I am very sorry. I promise that yours will be the first bill I clear when I get my next salary"  
"That is not what I am talking about. It is just a month's delay. Relax", he says, "I was asking if you would like to have a cup of tea. Um, with me"  
"Now?", I ask.  
"No, not r-really. Whenever you are free that is", he strokes the back of his head nervously. I smile,  
"I will let you know. And thanks again about the newspaper bill"  
"No, no, it's fine", he smiles back. I bow,  
"I will take your leave now. Good bye. Have a great day"  
"You too!", he calls from behind. I cross the road with my bag in my hands. It is not that Sakashi-san isn't a nice person, but I wouldn't really feel comfortable dating him. Sobo says that he is a fine young man with his manga and newspaper shop. But, I don't think having his own business is the only reason I need to date him. My grandparents think otherwise, of course. I tell them about any gentleman I know and they respond,  
"That's nice! Why don't you invite him home for dinner?"  
You see, my grandparents get easily excited; especially when, it's about a prospective groom for me. I understand their worries. But, I am just 22! Sofu would say,  
"People get married at the age of 22 all the time". Not me, granddad, not me.

I reach school right on time. Thank god for that. I enter the premises and something shiny catches my eye. A group of students is standing inside the school gates with pocket knives in their hands, a frown on all their faces and surely, fiery anger in their young minds. I walk up to them,  
"Good morning, children. Those are nice toys. May I have a look at them?"  
"Stay out of this", one of them grunts. I smile sweetly,  
"I will, once you hand them to me"  
"Hey, sensei, don't mess with us, alright? We are very pissed at the moment!"  
I pat his head,  
"The word you are looking for is 'enraged'. Now, hand me those quietly"  
He jerks away and spits,  
"Or what?"  
I pull both of his cheeks,  
"Or else I will make you recite Shakespeare and Milton in front of the whole class"  
"Ow!", he steps back, "We will bunk your stupid class then!"  
"Then I will have no other option than reporting this to your parents slash guardians slash probation officers. Hand them over now, boys", I say. They look even angrier. One of them raises a hand towards me, but retracts it immediately. Now, they look scared. Oh, great. They are looking behind me, fear etched on their scarred faces.  
"Sorry, sensei!", they throw the weapons at my feet and run inside the building. I sigh and pick those up carefully. I turn around to look at Kenji. He shrugs and walks ahead of me. I follow him,  
"What was it this time - your infamous satanic glare?"  
He says without looking back,  
"I didn't do anything. Those sissies get scared of squirrels"  
"Well, do you know who those fine, young lads were going to mutilate or carve a new gauge in?"  
"That buff kid and his friends from class 10", he says.  
"Yamada-kun and his friends?"  
"Yeah"  
"Thank you for the information", I catch up with him and straighten his hair with my hands, "And I have told you to comb your hair neatly like a good boy. But, you…"  
He pries my hands away,  
"Sensei, stop it! You are embarrassing me!"  
He frowns and runs off. What is so embarrassing with having nice hair? I shrug and see two kids bullying a boy with glasses. They are about to give him a wedgie when I step in,  
"Hey, quit it!"  
I break in and give the two a sound scolding. Geiji-kun stands behind me for protection. I say,  
"Apologise to Geiji-kun right now"  
The bullies bow,  
"Sorry, sensei. Sorry, Toshi"  
Geiji-kun says to me,  
"Thank you, sensei"  
"You are welcome, Geiji-kun", I smile and say to the kids, "Please, go to your respective classes now. There are only five minutes left before the school starts". They nod and do as instructed. Geiji-kun's severely myopic glasses remind me of someone. Hm. I smile and walk to the staff room and put the weapons in my hand on Natchi's table. I say to her before walking to the teachers' lockers,  
"Good morning. Could you deposit these with the principal? Tell him I found those near the dumpster. Thanks"  
That's the way things are at Byounkai High School. It is a place for juvenile delinquents and youngsters wronged by society. I have been teaching here since a year. It's a good place, if you ask me - spirited students, careless teachers and a building with really 'cool' graffiti. We have to paint the whole building every six months though.

No one except for Geiji-kun and two girls cares to stand up when I enter the class. I keep my books on the table and smile,  
"Good morning, delightful children. Please sit down"  
"We are seated already", someone grunts and is encouraged by others. I say,  
"Well, I said, 'delightful children'. Are you included too, Akiyama-kun?"  
He scowls and looks away. I start writing on the board,  
"Sonnet No. 18"  
I turn around and ask the students,  
"Yesterday we finished studying a very famous Shakespearean sonnet, Sonnet no. 18. Almost every one of you was very enthusiastic in the whole learning process, to my surprise. So, let's have a little quiz to see what you remember from our last two English periods. First, what does Shakespeare compare the subject in the poem to? It's very simple. You remember that. Raise your hand if you know the answer"  
As always, only Geiji-kun raises his hand. I glance patiently at everyone,  
"Would anyone else like to answer? For a change, you know. And your answer doesn't have to be right. Just try"  
It might seem ridiculous, but in a school for delinquents, answering the teacher's questions and taking an active part in school activities is considered 'uncool'. The children who do so are bullied more than once. Still, I find myself waiting patiently for the other children to raise their hands. I see that someone has raised their hand and I say happily,  
"Yes. You there? Fumino-san?"  
Fumino-san says reluctantly,  
"Uh, rose?"  
Before I can say anything, someone coughs loudly,  
"Dork!"  
And the rest of the class laughs. Fumino-san seems even more embarrassed now. I say loudly,  
"Yes, go on, laugh. At least, Fumino-san has the courage to answer. Good effort, Fumino-san. But, that is not the answer we are looking for. Now, the answer to the question… Yes, you?"  
"A summer's eve", a student answers. I exclaim,  
"Very good! Shakespeare compared the subject to a summer's eve!"  
I hear the same student from earlier coughing even louder this time,  
"Superdork!"  
Laughter follows. I smile at my class. I clear my throat,  
"Because not every single person here is interested in the quiz, I have thought of a better idea for revision. One of you will read the sonnet aloud and…"  
"Awh, no…", collective sighs can be heard. I walk to a desk, saying,  
"And, the rest of the class will ask him questions. Our first volunteer is Fukui-kun! But be a little supportive of him, children. Fukui-kun seems to be having a case of the old cough and kicks today".  
Fukui-kun looks up at me in surprise. I hear some faint giggles from the other students. He tries to resist but I drag him by his wrist to the front of the classroom.

"Sh-sh-shall…", Fukui-kun reads and his legs wobble a little. I mentally sigh. These kids are not afraid to pick a row with armed strangers. But if you ask them to take the spotlight, everyone gets scared. I walk up to him and gesture him to do what I am doing,  
"Shall I compare thee to a summer's eve?"  
He repeats,  
"Shall I compare thee to a summer's eve?"  
I recite without looking into a book,  
"Thou art more lovely and more temperate"  
"Thou art more lovely and more temperate"  
"Rough winds do shake…", I am interrupted by a breeze flowing inside the classroom. It caresses my skin gently and out of nowhere I hear a familiar voice,  
_"Saki-kun, shall I compare thee to a summer's day? But you are much brighter and lovely. You are not only well mannered, but extremely intelligent. And I want to marry you. Will you have my babies?"_  
I close my eyes and mutter absent-mindedly,  
"Yes. Yes, I will. **OUCH!**"  
I look up, completely 'awake' now, and I notice Kenji shaking his head at me from where he sits. A rustled paper ball lies at my feet, probably the one that hit me in the face. The rest of the class is looking at me in surprise. I pull myself together,  
"Uh, does anyone want to ask Fukui-kun any questions?"  
"What's wrong with your face, Fukui-chan?"  
"Hey, that is inappropriate… Fukui-kun, no! No violence! Hey…"

"Goodbye, sensei. See you tomorrow. And thank you", Geiji-kun bows to me. I keep walking and reply,  
"Goodbye, Geiji-kun. See you tomorrow"  
"Bye, sensei!", he keeps waving at me cheerfully. I smile and wave back to him. He is a nice kid. He is very polite and sincere, unlike most of the others.  
I am walking when someone punches me in the shoulder while running out of the school compound. I wince in pain but don't bother following the student. It must be Fukui-kun. If I tell his parents about it, his abusive father will beat him. I have tried reasoning with this kid but he will just deny it again. Frankly speaking, I am getting used to all this. I try to stretch my arm a bit. My shoulder sure hurts. I will have to use an ice pack when I get home.  
"Aah!", I gasp and jump back a little. Fukui-kun is lying at my feet and his mouth is dripping of blood. I bend down and hold his head in my hands,  
"Oh my god, Fukui-kun, are you all right? Let's take you to the nurse!"  
He blurts out,  
"I am sorry"  
"It's okay. Come on", I pull him to his feet with much effort and start walking him to the nurse's office. I wipe the blood with the back of my hand,  
"Who did this?"  
"I-I don't know"  
"What? You must have seen someone!"  
"I didn't"  
"Was it Kenji?"  
"N-no"  
"It was him, wasn't him?"  
"No, sensei"  
The nurse takes him inside and I wait. This has to be Kenji's dong. He must have seen Fukui-kun punch me. This boy…

"I wasn't even there", Kenji says defensively.  
I point my finger at him in accusation,  
"You were there! Don't lie to me! You are always there till everyone leaves! Sobo, Sofu, he does this every time!"  
"Calm down, Saki", Sofu says to me. Sobo just shakes her head. Kenji says,  
"You always blame me for such things. I don't even…"  
"I blame you, justly, for things that are related to me. The other day, someone whistled at me on my way to school and you broke his jaw!"  
"I did not! I didn't even know he was the guy who whistled!"  
"So, you were there when someone whistled at me?"  
"I…", Kenji is tongue tied now. I shake my head ruefully and say,  
"For god's sake, Kenji, if I wanted you to fight for me and hit people, I would have never brought you here. I would have never brought you home. You are always doing this! You promised me that you wouldn't hurt people! This is not downtown; this is not a video game!"  
He looks away. Sobo pats me on the back,  
"Sshh. Let it go. He is just a child"  
I argue,  
"No, Sobo. He is not. This… this…", I pull his ear, "This child of yours has a history of beating people so violently that most of them have never been able to do anything again for the rest of their lives. And you two just keep encouraging him"  
Kenji says defiantly,  
"So what am I supposed to do? Someone bothers you, someone hurts you and I am just supposed to stand and watch helplessly?"  
"Yes! I am a grown woman and I can take care of myself! What does it matter to you if I am hit or hurt?"  
"It does. So sue me", he says and walks out. I look after him unbelievably,  
"Did you two see that? That attitude?"  
Sobo says,  
"Now stop it, you. You are being too harsh on him. He cares about you a lot. He just doesn't know how to express it"  
I try to maintain my anger,  
"But, but, he…"  
I drop to my knees beside Sobo. I sigh,  
"I know that. I know he cares about me and I appreciate that. But I don't want to wake up one day and have a policeman come to our house and take him away from us. Why can't he understand that?"  
Sofu smiles and strokes my head,  
"He understands, Saki-chan. Just give him some more time. In fact, ever since he has been spending time with the other children and Hideyuki-kun, he has become so mature. Also, Hideyuki-kun cares about him very much. As always, he has brought something for all the kids today…"  
"HIDEYUKI-SAN IS HERE?! WHY DIDN'T YOU BOTH TELL ME?!", I squeal and get to my feet fast, only to fall flat on my face.

As if falling on my frontals at the mere mention of a man's name was not embarrassing enough, I am standing behind a pillar and looking at him like a creepy stalker.  
"Teeheehee", I giggle to myself when he laughs with the kids. The sun is shining on his face and he doesn't even seem bothered. He is busy playing tag with the kids. God, this is the best part of my Fridays.  
It may seem nonsensical to stare at him without his knowledge but, the thing is… but… Actually, the thing is… You see, the thing is that…  
I love him. I love him very much. He is my first love. And I want him to be the last. His is the voice that rings in my ears like the sweetest melody. His is the face I dream of kissing even in my waking moments. If only I had the courage to tell him how I feel about him, I wouldn't be standing here stalking him like a serial killer! But I can't. What am I going to do? Go straight up to him and tell him that he has taken away my breath and peace and the only solace I will ever find is in his arms? I can't do that! He thinks that I am a sensible, responsible, mature and elegant Japanese lady. If he discovers what thoughts go in my mind about him, he will consider me a pervert. I admit that I am a pervert but only for him! And it is not just his charming smile, his firm muscles, his perfect teeth, his owlish eyes, his gun wielding skills or his external personality I fawn over, it is his kind and loving nature which makes me swoon over him. He is so, so very loving and caring about my kids. He respects my grandparents very much. He is a polite and charismatic gentleman. And every time he looks into my eyes, he sweeps me off my feet. Huh! It is impossible to not love and respect Hideyuki Makimura. If you think it is, look at him just once through my eyes. And when you do, you will spend all your nights and days contemplating the possibility of the gods placing such an angelic man in your life.

"Maki-aniki!", Jetsu jumps on Hideyuki. "Maki-aniki!", the other kids dog-pile on him as well. I grin widely at the sight. He smiles as the kids laugh and treat him like a boat. His happiness is as genuine as theirs.  
"Okay, enough. Now we should play the game Nene wants us to play. Right, Nene?", he asks.  
Nene claps her hands cheerfully,  
"Yay!"  
Someone tugs at my dress and I looks down at the person. Jiro. He looks up at me,  
"Oneechan, there is a monster in my pants"  
My eyes widen,  
"Jiro! That is inappropriate. Where did you learn to say that?"  
He says innocently,  
"There really is a monster in my pants. It's biting my legs"  
I check and it is an ant, not a monster. I zip up Jiro's pants again and hold him by the shoulders,  
"Jiro, that was not a monster, but an ant. You have to stop exaggerating things"  
Jiro says nervously,  
"But monsters are special. If monsters attack me, I will be special too"  
I say,  
"Monsters are not real. And you don't need anything to be special. You are very special all ready"  
He looks at me earnestly,  
"I am?"  
"Yes, you are. Believe me", I smile, "Now, why are you not playing with your Makimura aniki?"  
Jiro exclaims,  
"Maki-aniki is here?! I have to go!"  
I stand up as Jiro runs off towards his 'Maki-aniki'. He hasn't gone much farther when I hear him squeak,  
"Maki-aniki!"  
I quickly dab at my face and hair and take a deep breath. Before I can turn around,  
"AAH!",  
a sharp squeak escapes my mouth as I feel Hideyuki's hands on my waist. Oh my ovaries…


	6. Saki: I Have Accepted My Fun Side!

A/N: I have tried to make this chapter seem a little funny to some extent. I hope the readers like it and appreciate the timely update. Thank you. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own City Hunter or its characters. Except for Hideyuki Makimura, all the other characters and ideas in this chapter belong to me.

* * *

**Saki: I Have Accepted My Fun Side!**

Paralysis - I know what this word means but I prefer to think of it in a romantic manner as an _'involuntary, temporary breakdown of one's bodily movements as their heartbeat stops and every fiber in their body trembles'_. I am paralyzed at the moment. Because… Hideyuki Makimura's hands are on my waist!  
I turn my head slowly towards him. He has a blindfold on. What the heck? He retracts his hands from my waist and removes the piece of cloth covering his eyes. I am still hot in the cheeks… and somewhere else. He looks at me in confusion and his face expresses signs of realization. He takes a few steps back and bows to me,  
"I am very sorry, Saki-kun. I had no idea it was you. I thought those were one of the kids' shoulders. I couldn't see that it was your… I am so sorry"  
I have an impulse to shake him by his collar and shout,  
**"You touched a hot piece of ass! What's there to be so sorry?"**  
But I let the urge subside and say in the most polite way possible,  
"It is fine. Please don't apologize. I know it was not intentional"  
Sigh. It was not bloody intentional. One of the many tragedies of my life - the very first time Hideyuki touches me in an intimate place, it is not intentional. I can see that his cheeks are flushed and he is feeling guilty. Maybe I am a guilty pleasure. I giggle to myself at the thought and he looks at me in surprise. I regain my composure. I say gruffly,  
"Never mind. It was an accident. Let's go inside now"

I hum an English song while working in the kitchen. It is hard to not feel lucky today.  
"You are the luckiest waist in the world, you know that?", I mutter, addressing my waist. A grin spreads across my face as I re-enact the scene the way I would have wanted it to happen.  
"Ah!", I bite my knuckles, "Hideyuki-sama!"  
I take a step back and stretch my shoulders. I say in a manly voice,  
"I have a right to touch your hips whenever I want. Do you understand that, Saki?"  
"Yes", I get back in position and smile coyly, "You have every right to do that"  
I giggle loudly to myself at what I just did when I notice that Kenji is about to enter the kitchen. He stops when he hears my sissy laugh, gives me an odd look and retreats.  
Yes, it may seem mental that I giggle and do impressions when I am alone, but it's not something to be afraid of. I have embraced my fun side! My fun side has laughable impressions, perverse fantasies and the art of conversing with every object as if it were alive. No, I don't need a psychiatrist.

I put another dollop of ice cream in the last bowl. I had set the mix to freeze before I set out for school this morning. It looks extremely palatable, if I can say so myself. I remember clearly that my last attempt at making an ice cream went _kaboom_ like fireworks on New Year. It tasted rancid and when I gave it to our cat, she died of diarrhea. Yes, we used to have a cat. I had to tell the children that Chiru-nyan eloped with her boyfriend to another town. Only Sobo, Sofu and Kenji knew what had really happened. Sorry, Chiru-nyan, rest in peace.  
I might not be a great cook, but I am not terrible at it. I can make a decent meal if I am not thinking of Hideyuki while cooking. That happens rarely though. I could delegate the kitchen tasks to others, but Kenji hates housework, the other children are too young and Sobo is too old. I can't make my poor Sobo cook meals for thirteen people thrice a day. So, it is my burden to bear and their grief to suffer.

Feeling very positive about my latest dish, I venture out to the dining room with a large tray in my hands. There are 14 bowls, I counted them in the kitchen. I place the tray on the mahogany table and sit next to Sobo. Sofu says,  
"This looks nice, Saki. What is it?"  
"It is chocolate ice cream, Sofu", I answer and look at Hideyuki. He is sitting between Kenji and Taichi. He adjusts his glasses and his eyes meet mine. I look away immediately and pretend to stroke Hikari's hair. Everyone has taken a bowl from the tray. It is a Friday custom for us to have our evening snacks with Hideyuki. I try not to stare at him creepily as he takes a spoonful of the ice cream and puts it in his mouth. His eyes brighten for a second and he takes another spoonful. I think he likes it. If he gives me a compliment for this, my Friday will be perfect!

"Achoo!", Hikari sneezes. I pat her back and wipe her nose with her handkerchief. I say,  
"If you have a cold, don't eat this, sweetie. I will make something else for you"  
"Achoo!", Jetsu sneezes too. Before I can say 'bless you', I hear four more sneezes. I look at everyone in surprise.  
"Achoo!", Sofu sneezes and Sobo follows. Kenji pushes his ice cream bowl away before sneezing and saying,  
"Why did you put pepper in this?"  
"I did not!", I retort and taste some from my bowl. Oh god. I did. It tastes awful. But how?! I had followed the recipe word by word. Everyone is sneezing loudly and wiping the tears coming out of their eyes while I sit there basked in the 'glow' of my embarrassment.  
"I am so sorry. I am so very sorry", I apologise and start putting the bowls in the tray to take them back to the kitchen. Unintentionally, I glance at Hideyuki who has calmly finished eating the ice cream in his bowl and is now patting a coughing Taichi on the back. Ashamed beyond measure, I take away his bowl and carry it inside in the tray.

"You don't deserve a compliment!", I kick my foot against a rock. "Ow, ow, ow", I sit on the same rock rubbing my now sore foot. This is not how I had expected things to turn out. I wanted to put a smile on everyone's face by serving them some sweet, delicious dessert. But I ended up giving them irritated noses and dry throats. I always do this. I suck at cooking! I should just stick to scrubbing the floor and doing the laundry. I feel terrible. Hideyuki must think I am an idiot. What Japanese guy would marry a girl who can't cook?!  
Startled, I look up as I hear Hideyuki clear his throat. I stand in front of him, but I can't face him. I probably gave him a stomachache. I say apologetically,  
"I am sorry about the ice cream. I was not aware that I had put pepper in it"  
He is looking at the cherry blossom tree. He smiles,  
"Don't apologize. It was an accident"  
I pout, angry at myself,  
"It was a mistake. I need to accept the fact that I can't even stir a soup without spilling it all over the place. I should have tasted that stupid thing before serving it but I didn't! I am very sorry"  
This is so embarrassing. I know that he is a good listener but I didn't have to babble like that in front of him. I want to hit my head against something!  
"Saki-kun", he says. I look at him timidly. He reminisces,  
"Do you remember that summer I spent here? When we were not even teenagers?"  
I smile warmly. My feet play with the beach sand,  
"I remember"  
"We were playing housie and you were playing the wife"  
"Yes", I blush.  
"You served me mud cakes saying those were cutlets"  
"I was 5 years old!", I grin widely. He smiles,  
"I pretended to eat all of those then, didn't I?"  
"You even complimented me"  
"Do you know why?"  
"No, I don't", I am curious now. He looks at me sincerely,  
"Because in the game, you had come home from a meeting, you had finished doing the laundry, you had finished cleaning the house, you had washed the dishes, you had been a wonderful host to some guests and you had put the children to sleep. In a way, you are still the same. You do everything you can or can't to take care of those you love. You have so many responsibilities but I have never heard you complain. Despite of all this, you are criticizing yourself for a small blunder. That is not fair to Saki-chan, is it?"  
Somebody kill me now. I just gape at him. Not only does he remember something from our childhood, he thinks so highly of me. He is being sugary sweet about this disaster and I… I am going to cry if he says another word. He says,  
"You are a wonderful person. And you have a lot of potential. Please don't judge yourself on account of such a small mistake"  
"I won't", I sniff. He seems worried now,  
"Are you crying?"  
"No", I squeak, "It must be the pepper"  
He grins from ear to ear. I return the smile and dab at my eyes. He says,  
"I have to go now. Will you cook for me again next Friday?"  
"Do you want me to?", I ask doubtfully.  
"Yes", he smiles and straightens his glasses, "Even if it is mud cakes. Good night, Saki-kun"  
I stand and watch Hideyuki walking to his car. He waves back at the kids who are waving at him from the doorstep. I keep looking at his car disappearing into the distance. I walk inside the house talking to myself,  
"This was just a small mistake. I shouldn't judge myself for such a small blunder. Besides, I can feed the remaining ice cream to Gouda-san's dog"  
Sobo, Sofu and Kenji shout in horror,  
**"No!" **

* * *

"Cut it out. Jiro, stop. No!", I scold and intervene in a pillow fight between Jiro and Jetsu. It's a typical bedtime scenario. Looking after 10 kids is not an easy task; especially when they are all full of energy and enthusiasm 23 hours of the day. That one hour when they're not so energetic is the hour before they go to school. Well, for all they are and all they want to be, they are my kids. My lovely, innocent, cute as Chihuahuas kids.  
I am in the boys' room and only two of my boys have gone to bed, one of them being a 16 year old – Kenji. I tuck in the other kids soon and give them good night kisses.  
"Sleep well now, boys. Good night", I smile and turn off the lights.  
The scene in the girls' room is much more different. All the girls are in bed, except for Mary. I walk over to her bunk-in bed which she shares with Nanako and Kira. She is studying and she looks worried. She looks at me in surprise when I get close to her. She asks,  
"Oneechan, I have a question. How can this equation be represented on the graph?"  
She shows me the equation and I explain,  
"You have to find out the value of x. Now, you already have the value of y and you can find out what z is equal to by a simple (a+b)2 formula. You have to plot y on this axis because its value is in negative. Got it?"  
"Yes", she chirps, "Thank you"  
"Finish that problem and turn off the lights. It's late. Good night", I say before walking over to the others. Planting kisses on their foreheads and tucking them in, I come to a stop when I see something peculiar on the Art Board. There are drawings and thumb paintings pinned on the board always, but this is a note. It reads,  
**'Happy Mothers' Day, Oneechan. We love you.'**  
A big smile spreads across my face as I read the note. This is all I can ever ask for in return from the children for looking after them – love.

I turn off the lights in all the other rooms and walk over to the temple. It is an old room we use for worshipping and religious events. The candles and incense sticks enhance the quaint ambience of the room. I bow to Lord Buddha's statue and sit in silence for my prayer. I join my palms,  
_'O enlightened one, I thank you for this beautiful life and for my family and friends. I thank you for the promise of a better tomorrow and for everything that has passed. I pray to you to provide everyone in the world with happiness, health and content. Sofu has had some trouble with his spondylitis lately. Help him and make sure Sobo doesn't notice that Sofu is in pain. You know how hysterical she gets when something happens to him. Look after my children and guide them to follow your holy path. And… bless Hideyuki-san with your grace. Endow him and his sister with happiness, health and prosperity. Open his eyes to my feelings if you can. Give me the strength and patience to love him forever. Bless every soul and lead them to follow your divine path.'_  
My prayer concludes with a loud clap and with a bow. I put out the candles and close the doors to the room once I am outside.

I check all the doors and windows of the house to make sure they are locked. It is time for me to wish Sobo and Sofu a good night and then to go to my room. I am walking to their room when I hear them talking in loud whispers. I knock on their door and hear Sobo telling me to come in. I push the door aside and step in. Sofu smiles sweetly at me,  
"Put the kids in bed, Saki?"  
"Yes. I…"  
"We want to talk to you about something"  
They look at each other nervously. I raise an eyebrow and sit down,  
"What is going on?"  
"Do you know that Gouda-san wants to start teaching embroidery and knitting?", Sobo asks.  
"I might have heard about that"  
"She gave me an excellent offer, Saki. I just have to teach with her for four hours a day and she will give me a 1000 yen every week"  
"Sobo", I frown, "You are not going to work again. We have talked about this before"  
"But it is an excellent offer. I would have to be a fool to refuse it."  
"Stop saying 'excellent offer'. I am sure you heard that on TV. You are not going to work and that is final. Sofu, please tell her."  
"Actually", Sofu tries to smile, "I think she has a good point. And I was also thinking about doing this part time job at a construction site. No, no, listen to me. I just have to do guard duty, sit outside the site and maintain records of the visitors. The payment will be fine too. Only morning 7:00 am to afternoon 1:00 pm"  
I ask, perplexed,  
"Why do you both want to work again? We had a long discussion about this last month. You both have worked all your lives and now it's time for you to rest. There is no need for you to work… wait. Did you both go through my ledger again? Sobo, Sofu! I have told you not to…"  
"The expenses are growing, Saki. There are 13 people in this house and you are the only person who earns money. It is very pressurizing, I know that even if you never say so", Sofu says defensively.  
"Are you saying that my salary is not enough? Has there been even a single instance where we have not been able to provide for the kids? Has anyone ever come to our door and asked us to pay up our overdue loans or bills? No"  
"It is not them, Saki", Sobo says, "It is you"  
I exclaim,  
"Me? Me what?"  
She touches my dress,  
"When did you buy this dress?"  
"I don't remember. Maybe a year ago"  
"No", she looks at me in sympathy, "Your grandfather bought this for you on his retirement. That was five years ago. When was the last time you bought yourself a new dress?"  
"Sobo…"  
"Why do you not buy those powders and creams like other girls of your age? Why do you not wear any jewelry? Why do you not spend any amount of money from your salary on yourself? The money your grandfather gets as a pension and the money we get from your father's fund, it all goes on to be spent for the kids and for our failing health. You have had to look after your dying grandparents since you were just a child…"  
"Sobo, Sobo, stop", I hold her as she chokes and begins crying. This is why I never let these two know about the expenses. I stroke her thin grey hair,  
"Sobo, you two are not a burden for me. And I don't like all those things. Make up, expensive clothes, jewelry – I don't like any of it. I have never wanted any of it. Don't you know that?"  
Sofu says,  
"You will be married someday. We will need money for your wedding. We have to start saving for it"  
"You don't have to save a single penny for me, remember that. If I ever marry, I will marry a man who loves me and my family, not the money we don't even have", I sigh, "You both need to stop worrying about me. I am not tense. I don't feel pressurized by our expenses. You all are not a responsibility for me! You are my family and I love you. If I cannot look after my own family, what good am I as a person?"  
"If only you would let me help you, at least in the easiest way possible, I will not feel so useless", Sofu says.  
"You are not useless!", I argue, "You are the man of this house, Sofu. You are not useless. You are my Sofu"  
I smile and hold his hands. I look at Sobo,  
"We are not facing any crisis. We are well provided for. You both need to stop worrying and start enjoying this phase of your life. Go for long walks, visit parks, kiss under the Tokyo tower!"  
Sobo blushes and hits me in the head for that last suggestion. I grin,  
"From tomorrow, I am going to work for an extra hour at school. It's temporary. New Year is coming and we will have a lot to shop for. And I hope that this is the last time you both go through my ledger and think about getting a job again. Am I clear?"  
They nod reluctantly. I kiss Sobo's and Sofu's foreheads and walk out of their room.  
"Good night, Mr. & Mrs. Nogawa. Sleep well", I say in English and walk to my room.  
I do feel guilty for lying to them about that extra hour at school. But, a woman has to do what a woman has to do. I close my eyes and sigh, _'Buddha help me'_


End file.
